Apparatus for rustproofing the inside of gasometer bells



1945 F. MAURER ETAL 2, ,402

PROOFING, THE INSIDE OF GASOMETER BELLS APPARATUS FOR RUST- 2 Sheets-She et 1 g- .1945 F. MAURER ETAL 2,333,402

APPARATUS FOR RUST-PROOFING THE'INSIDE OF GASOMETER BELLS Filed Sept. 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Patented Aug. 21, 1945 APPARATUS FOR RUSTPR'O'OFING THE INSIDE OF GASOMETER BELLS Fritz 'Maurer, Stuttgart-Bad 'Cannstatt, and

Rudolf Laquay, Stuttgart, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application September 28, 1938, Serial No. 232,172

In Germany otober1,.-193'7 '2 Claims. Gasometers in which a bell filled with a gas is closed at the bottom by means of a water seal are subjected in a high degree to the risk of rusting,.and, therefore, need careful rust protection. vSinceitis very troublesomeand can cause: considerable operating loss when .a gasometer must be placed out of operation, it was not formerly as a rule possible to renew with rust preventing coating the entire inner side of the gasometer bell, whichirom the moisture in the gas is especially strongly exposed to rusting. Ii leaks occur at the seams or rivets between the several sheets from rust or deterioration of the packing strips, then gas losses arise by way "of the covering or bell, which can become important in extent. 4

By the following described process {and apparatus a rotatory spraying apparatus with one-or norenozzles is introduced through a slide valve or short piece of tube attached to the gasorneter A bell and communicating with the interior of the bell, through which apparatus the rust preventing liquid can be applied to the inner surfaces of the bell even during the use or operation of the gasometer.

In the drawings formingpart of this description of the invention,-four' modifications of apparatus embodying the invention are illustrated. In these drawings Fig. 1 illustrates one embodiment of our invention with a hinged or jointed spraying apparatus applied to .a gasometer, said spraying apparatus comprising a movable spraying nozzle.

Figs. la. and 1b are detail views showing the boom rotating means and the nozzle support,

respectively, the same being taken sectionally along section lines Ia-Ia and Ib1b, respectively.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate respectively two other forms of the invention having jointed or hinged spraying apparatus with spraying nozzle in fixed position in the spraying-apparatus.

In Fig. l we have illustrated a sprayer adapted for use in a large gasometer.

This apparatus consists essentially of the rocking boom It] with hinge or pivotal connection I I on the rotatable column I?! which is suspended from the towerlike superstructure I3 resting upon the container bell I.

By means of the pivotal connection I I and the steel-wire rope or cable I 4 the boom IO can be placed in any position from a vertical position directly below the column I2, in which position the boom I0 and the column l2 are introduced into the gasometer, to almost a vertical sition boom I0 takes place by a suitable known driving .gear, the wheel I5 ofwhich sits slidingly on the rotatable column I2 and the worm I-l of which is fast upon the bearing column 18 screwed to the gas holder hell. I Owing to the wheel lfi of the driving gear being slidably attached upon the column 12, the lowering or raising of the apparatus in the working position is rendered possible by meansof the block and tackle 1-9 suspended on the towerlike superstructure -I3.

The boom I0 serves for the reception of a sliding carriage 20* movable longitudinally there,- ofin track 2i, said carriage being provided with a spraying nozzle 25. The carriage .28 can be moved from the middle to theends of theboom I0 or inversely by an endless towing line 22 which passes over the guiding roller 23 and roller 23, and rising in the column I2 is wound upon or off of a drum 24.

The free end of the boom I0 is so formed that the sliding carriage 20 can be tilted from a horizontal to a vertical position, whereby the device may also be used to spray the vertical walls. The position of the sliding carriage 20, the inclination of the boom I0 and its position upon rotation, as well as the depth of the apparatus are indicated in known manner by apparatus corresponding to the object in view.

By this regulation of the different movements an exact, uniform and economical distribution of the rust preventing agent in all corners and joints of the bell I and of the rafters 2 is effected. The supply of the working material to the nozzle 25 built in the sliding carriage 20 takes place through a flexible pipe or hose 26 situated on the boom In between the sliding carriage tracks 2|. This hose extends upwardly in the column I-2, connecting with the inlet pipe 4, and contains enough slack to follow the motion of the carriage 20 to the free end of the boom Ill.

By means of the guys 21 the stability of the superstructure I3 and of the whole apparatus is made certain.

In order not to call excessively upon the covering I of the gas holder, the load of the superstructure I3 and of theapparatus proper is distributed uniformly by a stiff carrying frame 28 upon the rafters 2 of the bell I.

A further possibilitylof the modification of the spraying apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 is shown in Figure 2. Instead of a boom ID for receiving a movable nozzle 25 there is a tube 29 along the length of which at certain distances several nozzles 30, 30, 30", etc., are built in, which can be set in operation either all simultaneously, according to Figure 2, or in groups of 2 of 3 of the row as illustrated in Figure 3. In

the case of simultaneous connection of all the nozzles 30, 30, etc., the working material is led to them through the interior of the tube 29, which is connected with the inlet pipe 4 by a hose 3| rising in the columns I2. In the case of connecting the nozzles in groups, as shown in Figure 4, as many small conducting tubes 32, 32, etc., are disposed inside of the boom 33 formed as a tube as there are groups of nozzles present. The connection between the individual conducting tubes 32, 32, etc., built in the boom 33, and

the inlet pipe 4 outside of the container is estab-' lished by as many hoses 34 and 34', etc., rising in the column I2 as there are conducting tubes 32, 32, etc., present. The tubular booms '29 and 33, shown respectively in Figures 2 and 3, are hinged or pivotally connected to the rotatable column I2 in the same manner as boom III in Figure 2 is connected to the column I2.

The mode of operation of the spraying apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 is as follows:

If the guiding tower I3 and the carrying frame 28 are erected upon the moving bell I of the gasometer, and the spraying apparatus with the aid of the block and tackle I9 suspended from the tower I3, either in folded up or extended condition, is introduced into the bell I through the valve 3 and the bearing column I8, then the boom I is brought into working position by the winch I and the cable I4. If the rust preventing liquid is pumped under pressure through the inlet pipe 4 and the hose 26 to the nozzle 25, which in its initial position is at the middle of the boom I I], then by simultaneous rotation of the column I2 the rust preventing material is distributed uniformly upon the inner surface of the gasometer bell I in a circular ring surface. This process with displacement of the nozzle 25 is repeated until the roof as well as the cylindrical portion or vertical wall portion of the bell I is treated with a plurality of annular coatings lapping over one upon the other. By using the boom shown'in Figures 3 and 4 the entire inner surface is treated in one or two operations.

Any of the known rust preventing or inhibit ing liquids can be used for coating of the gas holder bells so long as they can be sprayed.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for coating the inside of a gasometer bell, having a substantially central opening in its top, means at said opening forming a sealed bearing, means for spraying liquid onto the inner wall of the bell, said spraying means including a tubular support extending through said bearing into said bell, means for rotatably and slidably mounting said support in said bearing, a boom pivotally mounted at the inner end of said support for swinging movement in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of said support, said boom being formed with a longitudinal guide, piping extending through said support and along said boom, jet means carried by said boom in communication with said piping for forming a spraying jet directed toward the wall of said bell, said jet means comprising a nozzle slidable along said guide, and means for swinging said boom about its pivotal support.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said last named means is a flexible cordv extending from said boom through said tubular support to a point outside said gasometer bell.

I FRITZ MAURER.

RUDOLF' LAQUAY. 

